A broken line of thunderstorms developed along a cold front as it moved into the North Carolina foothills. A few of the storms produced hail and a little wind damage.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS GSP wrote it up.
A broken line of thunderstorms developed along a cold front as it moved into the North Carolina foothills. A few of the storms produced hail and a little wind damage.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 11, 5:11 PM EST, 4 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
611 PM EDT SAT MAY 11 2013
.SYNOPSIS...
A COLD FRONT WILL BECOME NEARLY STATIONARY OVERNIGHT ACROSS THE
CAROLINAS. A SECOND REINFORCING COLD FRONT WILL ARRIVE FROM THE
NORTHWEST SUNDAY HELPING TO PUSH THE FIRST FRONT TO THE COAST BY
EARLY MONDAY. DRY HIGH PRESSURE WILL THEN BUILD OVER THE AREA AND
REMAIN IN PLACE THROUGH THE REST OF THE WEEK. A WARMING TREND IS
EXPECTED WITH THIS HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM MID TO LATE NEXT WEEK.
&&
.NEAR TERM /THROUGH SUNDAY/...
2210 UTC UPDATE...POPS WERE UPDATED FOR TIMING OF CONVECTION MOVING
OFF THE BLUE RIDGE.
AS OF 200 PM...SCATTERED SHOWERS AND A FEW TSTMS WILL CONTINUE TO
DEVELOP ACRS THE CWFA THRU THE AFTN HOURS...AS FILTERED SUNSHINE
STILL ABLE TO DESTABILIZE BL TO 500-1200 J/KG PER LATEST LAPS. A
COLD FRONT WAS ANALYZED AT 15Z ENTERING THE GREAT TN VLY...AND RADAR
MOSAIC SHOWS CONVECTION DEVELOPING INVOF THE FRONT. SEEING HOW THE
HI-RES SIMULATED REFLECTIVITY FIELDS ARE REASONABLY LINED UP WITH
THE TRENDS...I DID GIVE THEM WEIGHT IN UPDATING THE POPS. STILL
EXPECTING MAINLY HIGH-END CHC TO LIKELY DURING PEAK HEATING HOURS
(GENERALLY FROM ABOUT NOW TO SUNSET). THE 12Z NAM/GFS AND THE LATEST
RAP ALL AGREE ON SLOWING DOWN THE FRONT ACRS THE PIEDMONT THIS
EVENING...WHILE MOISTURE LINGERS AND SOME UPPER JET DIVERGENCE
STREAKS ACRS THE CWFA. SO WILL KEEP A LINGERING CHC POP THRU THE
EVENING...GENERALLY S/E OF I-85. TEMPS WILL BE HELD UP TO AROUND
NORMAL IN THE PIEDMONT OVERNIGHT...BUT COOLER AIR WILL BEGIN TO WORK
INTO THE NC MTNS.
SUNDAY...A SECONDARY COLD FRONT WILL PUSH THRU THE AREA EARLY IN THE
DAY...AND SHUD USHER IN NOTICEABLY DRIER AIR AND OVERALL COOLER AIR
TO MAKE FOR A PLEASANT AND SEASONABLY COOL DAY. I HAVE SKIES AND
POPS GENERALLY CLEAR OUT BY DAYBREAK...SAVE FOR SOME NW FLOW
CLOUDINESS ALONG THE TN LINE. HIGHS WILL RANGE FROM THE 50S ABOVE
3500 FT...TO MID 70S IN THE LOWER PIEDMONT.
&&
.SHORT TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/...
AS OF 145 PM EDT SAT...AN UNSEASONABLY COOL AIRMASS WILL AFFECT THE
REGION SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY. H8 TEMPS FALL TO -1 TO -2 DEG C OVER
THE NC MTNS ON BOTH THE NAM AND GFS. THIS IS 3 TO 4 STANDARD
DEVIATIONS BELOW NORMAL. THIS SHOULD BRING THE FREEZING LEVEL DOWN
TO AROUND 3000 FEET. AND SHELTERED VALLEY LOCATIONS ACROSS THE
SOUTHWEST AND CENTRAL NC MTNS COULD ALSO HIT FREEZING. THE AREA
LEAST LIKELY TO SEE A FREEZE WILL BE THE CENTRAL FRENCH BROAD
VALLEY...INCLUDING THE GREATER ASHEVILLE AREA AS NW FLOW THROUGH THE
VALLEY WILL KEEP THE BNDRY LAYER MIXED OVERNIGHT...MOST LIKELY
KEEPING MIX TEMPS A FEW DEGREES ABOVE FREEZING. THIS IS ALSO LIKELY
TO PREVENT THE FORMATION OF FROST. STILL...THE FREEZE THREAT IS HIGH
ENOUGH ACROSS THE REST OF THE MOUNTAINS THAT A FREEZE WATCH HAS BEEN
ISSUED FOR SUNDAY NIGHT.
MONDAY WILL BE SUNNY AND COOL. MAX TEMPS WILL RUN 10 DEGREES BELOW
NORMAL. MONDAY NIGHT LOW AND MID LEVEL CLOUDS WILL INCREASE TOWARD
MORNING. LLVL TEMPERATURES WILL RECOVER AND MOST OF THE FORCING FOR
CLOUDS WILL COME BETWEEN 850-700MB WHERE THERE WILL BE GOOD WARM
ADVECTION. I WOULDN/T RULE OUT FROST IN SOME OF THE VALLEYS AS THE
FLOW NEAR THE GROUND WILL BE LIGHT...BUT IT MIGHT BE TOUGH TO SEE
ANYTHING WIDESPREAD JUST CONSIDERING HOW LATE IN THE SEASON WE ARE
AND THE INCREASING CLOUD TREND LATE AT NIGHT. EVEN SO...WITH LIGHT
WINDS AND THE COOL TEMPS...I DO HAVE SOME FROST IN THE GIRDS MONDAY
NIGHT. TUESDAY WILL BE PARTLY CLOUDY WITH TEMPS RECOVERING ABOUT 5
DEGREES FROM MONDAY/S READINGS.
&&
.LONG TERM /TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY/...
AS OF 1215 PM EDT SAT...THE 12 UTC GFS AND THE 00 UTC RUN OF THE
ECMWF BRING A SHORT WAVE RIDGE ACROSS THE REGION DURING THE DAY ON
WEDNESDAY. THE MODELS ALSO DEVELOP A MODEST AMOUNT OF INSTABILITY
OVER THE WRN NC ZONES. HOWEVER...I THINK THAT/S PROBABLY A DAY EARLY
FOR CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT WITH THE RIDGE CROSSING THE REGION. THE
NEIGHBORING OFFICES AGREE AS WELL AND THE POPS WERE KEPT QUITE LOW.
A SOUTHERN STREAM UPPER LOW WILL GRADUALLY APPROACH THE REGION
DURING THE LATTER THREE DAYS OF THE EXTENDED RANGE. THE GFS KICKS
THE LOW TO THE EAST A LITTLE MORE QUICKLY AS IT DEEPENS A NRN STREAM
TROUGH. THE EC HAS MORE NRN STREAM RIDGING AND THUS A SLOWER
EASTWARD MOVEMENT OF THE SRN STREAM UPPER LOW. EITHER WAY...THERE
SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT BNDRY LAYER MOISTURE...COMBINED TO WITH
CLIMATOLOGICALLY COOL TEMPERATURES ALOFT...FOR SCT SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP THU ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS.
FRIDAY THE CHANCES WILL SPREAD ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA AS HEIGHTS
BEGIN TO FALL AND LAYER RH/S INCREASE. THE SAME HOLDS TRUE FOR
SATURDAY. EVEN THE FASTER GFS STILL HAS PLENTY OF CAPE OVER THE
REGION ON SATURDAY. TEMPERATURES SHOULD RISE INTO THE 80S THROUGH
THE PERIOD ACROSS THE FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT AND THERE WILL PROBABLY
BE A PULSE SEVERE THREAT MOST AFTERNOONS DURING THIS STRETCH.
&&
.AVIATION /22Z SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/...
AT KCLT...NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN THINKING FOR THIS AFTN/EVENING.
SCATTERED SHRA AND TSRA ARE DEVELOPING ACRS WRN NC AND THE UPSTATE.
THIS ACTIVITY WILL INCREASE IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY AS IS CROSSES
THE KCLT AREA LATER THIS AFTN. STILL THINK THE 21Z TO 00Z TIME FRAME
WILL BE WHEN THE GREATEST COVERAGE/CHC OF IMPACT FOR TS...AND WILL
CONTINUE WITH TEMPO. THEREAFTER...A COLD FRONT WILL PUSH INTO THE
AREA...BUT SLOW DOWN AS IT CROSSES THE NC MTNS. EXPECT LINGERING
SHRA THRU THE EVENING...WITH MAINLY MID AND HIGH CLOUDINESS. WIND
WILL SHIFT FROM WSW TO NW OVERNIGHT...THEN BEGIN TO INCREASE SUNDAY
MORNING TO NEAR 10 KTS...AS SKIES CLEAR BEHIND THE FRONT.
ELSEWHERE...SATELLITE AND RADAR IMAGERY SHOWS INCREASING CONVECTION
ACRS THE REGION AS A COLD FRONT PUSHES IN FROM THE WEST. THE
PRE-FRONTAL ACTIVITY IS SCATTERED IN NATURE AND HAS A FAIRLY BRISK
EWD MOVEMENT. WILL TEMPO TS AT ALL THE UPSTATE TERMINALS FOR THE
FIRST TWO HOURS OF THE 18Z TAF. KAND AND KAVL ALREADY HAD DOWNPOURS
THAT BRIEFLY DROPPED THEM TO IFR. A BROKEN LINE OF SHRA/TSRA
EXPECTED WITH FROPA LATE AFTN/EVE...SO VCTS THRU 00Z. SOME VFR
CLOUDINESS TO LINGER THRU MOST OF THE OVERNIGHT...AND WINDS WILL
SHIFT TO W/NW. NOT EXPECTING ANY FOG/STRATUS WITHIN THE FRONTAL ZONE
THRU SUNDAY MORNING. DRY AIR AND CLEARING SKIES THRUT SUNDAY MRNG.
OUTLOOK...FAIR WEATHER WILL BE ON TAP THRU AT LEAST TUESDAY...AS
LARGE CANADIAN HIGH PRES SETTLES INTO THE REGION.
CONFIDENCE TABLE...
22-04Z 04-10Z 10-16Z 16-22Z
KCLT HIGH 100% HIGH 100% HIGH 100% HIGH 100%
KGSP HIGH 100% HIGH 100% HIGH 100% HIGH 100%
KAVL HIGH 99% HIGH 86% HIGH 92% HIGH 100%
KHKY HIGH 100% HIGH 100% HIGH 100% HIGH 100%
KGMU HIGH 100% HIGH 100% HIGH 100% HIGH 100%
KAND HIGH 100% HIGH 100% HIGH 100% HIGH 100%
THE PERCENTAGE REFLECTS THE NUMBER OF GUIDANCE MEMBERS AGREEING
WITH THE SCHEDULED TAF ISSUANCE FLIGHT RULE CATEGORY. COMPLETE
HOURLY EXPERIMENTAL AVIATION FORECAST CONSISTENCY TABLES AND ENSEMBLE
FORECASTS ARE AVAILABLE AT THE FOLLOWING LINK: (MUST BE LOWER CASE)
WWW.WEATHER.GOV/GSP/AVIATION_TABLES
&&
.GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
GA...NONE.
NC...FREEZE WATCH FROM LATE SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY MORNING FOR
NCZ033-048>053-058-059-062>065.
SC...NONE.
&&
SYNOPSIS...PAT
NEAR TERM...ARK/NED
SHORT TERM...JAT/MCAVOY
LONG TERM...MCAVOY
AVIATION...ARK/JATHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 324 PM EDT SAT MAY 11 2013 NCZ033-048>053-058-059-062>065-121930- AVERY-MADISON-YANCEY-MITCHELL-SWAIN-HAYWOOD-BUNCOMBE-GRAHAM- NORTHERN JACKSON-MACON-SOUTHERN JACKSON-TRANSYLVANIA-HENDERSON- 324 PM EDT SAT MAY 11 2013 ...FREEZE WATCH IN EFFECT FROM LATE SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY MORNING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT THE MOUNTAINS OF NORTH CAROLINA THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL AND OCCASIONAL CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING STRIKES CAN BE EXPECTED WITH ANY THUNDERSTORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. FREEZE WATCH. TEMPERATURES WILL BE IN THE 30S AGAIN ON MONDAY NIGHT...AND FROST COULD BE MORE WIDESPREAD GIVEN THE EXPECTED LIGHTER WINDS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... NONE. GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ035>037-056-057-068>072-082-501>510- SCZ001>014-019-121930- RABUN-HABERSHAM-STEPHENS-FRANKLIN-HART-ELBERT-ALEXANDER-IREDELL- DAVIE-CATAWBA-ROWAN-CLEVELAND-LINCOLN-GASTON-MECKLENBURG-CABARRUS- UNION NC-CALDWELL MOUNTAINS-GREATER CALDWELL-BURKE MOUNTAINS- GREATER BURKE-MCDOWELL MOUNTAINS-EASTERN MCDOWELL- RUTHERFORD MOUNTAINS-GREATER RUTHERFORD-POLK MOUNTAINS-EASTERN POLK- OCONEE MOUNTAINS-PICKENS MOUNTAINS-GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS- GREATER OCONEE-GREATER PICKENS-GREATER GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG- CHEROKEE-YORK-ANDERSON-ABBEVILLE-LAURENS-UNION SC-CHESTER-GREENWOOD- 324 PM EDT SAT MAY 11 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA...PIEDMONT NORTH CAROLINA...WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT THE REGION THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS. ANY THUNDERSTORMS THAT DEVELOP WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL AND CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING STRIKES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... NONE.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
231 PM EDT SAT MAY 11 2013
NCZ506-508-111900-
EASTERN MCDOWELL-GREATER RUTHERFORD-
231 PM EDT SAT MAY 11 2013
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHERN RUTHERFORD AND
SOUTHEASTERN MCDOWELL COUNTIES THROUGH 300 PM EDT...
AT 224 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR THERMAL CITY...OR 9 MILES NORTH OF
RUTHERFORDTON...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.
THIS STORM WILL IMPACT LOCATIONS NEAR...
DYSARTSVILLE...
PEA SIZE HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS
STORM.
PLEASE REPORT DAMAGING WINDS...HAIL...OR FLOODING TO THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG BY CALLING TOLL FREE...1...
800...2 6 7...8 1 0 1...OR BY POSTING ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE...OR TWEET
IT USING HASHTAG NWSGSP. YOUR MESSAGE SHOULD DESCRIBE THE EVENT AND
SPECIFIC LOCATION WHERE IT OCCURRED.
LAT...LON 3565 8184 3558 8183 3559 8179 3554 8175
3543 8201 3550 8207 3567 8186
MCAVOYSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
309 PM EDT SAT MAY 11 2013
NCZ057-072-112000-
CABARRUS-ROWAN-
309 PM EDT SAT MAY 11 2013
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHERN CABARRUS AND ROWAN
COUNTIES THROUGH 400 PM EDT...
AT 307 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR KANNAPOLIS...OR 7 MILES NORTH OF CONCORD...
MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.
THIS STORM WILL IMPACT LOCATIONS NEAR...
CHINA GROVE...
GRANITE QUARRY...
SPENCER...
HIGH ROCK LAKE...
PEA SIZE HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS
STORM.
PLEASE REPORT DAMAGING WINDS...HAIL...OR FLOODING TO THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG BY CALLING TOLL
FREE...1...800...2 6 7...8 1 0 1...OR BY POSTING ON OUR FACEBOOK
PAGE...OR TWEET IT USING HASHTAG NWSGSP. YOUR MESSAGE SHOULD
DESCRIBE THE EVENT AND SPECIFIC LOCATION WHERE IT OCCURRED.
LAT...LON 3539 8064 3555 8074 3575 8046 3573 8042
3573 8034 3571 8032 3568 8033 3567 8030
3564 8029 3564 8026 3558 8020 3555 8020
RWHSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
603 PM EDT SAT MAY 11 2013
NCZ502-504-112245-
GREATER BURKE-GREATER CALDWELL-
603 PM EDT SAT MAY 11 2013
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT CENTRAL BURKE AND SOUTHERN
CALDWELL COUNTIES THROUGH 645 PM EDT...
AT 559 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 4 MILES NORTH OF GLEN ALPINE...OR 4 MILES
NORTHWEST OF MORGANTON...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.
THIS STORM WILL IMPACT LOCATIONS NEAR...
MORGANTON...
GAMEWELL...
VALDESE...
LAKE RHODHISS...
ICARD...
GRANITE FALLS...
DIME SIZE HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH
THIS STORM.
LAT...LON 3580 8133 3567 8145 3570 8183 3584 8183
3588 8176 3588 8133
RWHThe Greer radar (KGSP), 111 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:13 UTC.
4 hail, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Two pine trees and several large limbs were blown down at Valley View St and highway 64 about two miles north of Morganton. Large limbs were blown down nearby on Redbud Dr.
Quarter size hail was reported at Valley View St and highway 64.
Nickel size hail was reported on Smokey Creek Rd.
Nickel size hail was reported in Granite Falls.
Nickel size hail was reported at Hayes Waters Rd and highway 64.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in North Carolina in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, May 2013
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 456256, 456258, 456259, 456260, 456261.